Thursday, November 10, 2005

From John Vinocur last week [Times Select protected] in the International Herald Tribune:

In a new book about his time as foreign minister, called "Les Cent Semaines," he is portrayed through a series of negative anecdotes as "immeasurably pretentious."

In one account, the book tells how the foreign minister was informed at a meeting at the Quai d'Orsay that the American-led war against Saddam Hussein would likely be a short one. His response: "That's not desirable. France would appear ridiculous." There is a long silence. Another diplomat says, "The Americans and British are our allies." Villepin ends the meeting.

The book is hardly unimpeachable information, since the author is described only as a French diplomat using a pseudonym.